Adjustable roll straightener



Oct. 14, 1969 p, 5 ET AL 3,472,054

ADJUSTABLE ROLL STRAIGHTENER Filed Dec. 20. 1966 In vemors: Paul sscbmifi Md Mvwftd ilk/z,

United States Patent 3,472,054 ADJUSTABLE ROLL STRAIGHTENER Paul Schmitt and Manfred Hein, Saarbrucken, Germany, assignors to Mannesmann-Meer Aktiengesellschaft, Monchen-Gladbach, Germany, a corporation of Germany Filed Dec. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 603,361 Claims priority, application Germany, Aug. 17, 1966,

M 70,6 3 Int. Cl. B2111 13/10, 31/16 U.S. Cl. 72225 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roll straightener having oppositely placed straightening rolls for engaging opposite sides of the work, such as a T-bar, which is surrounded by the rolls. The axes of rotation of all the rolls are in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of feed movement of the work. The adjustment of one roll of one pair of rolls placed on a common center line is controlled by an eccentric; the position of the second roll of that pair is adjusted by a threaded spindle. The axes of rotation of the rolls of a second set of rolls are lateral of the common center line of the first pair of rolls and form acute angles therewith. Each set of the second set of rolls includes two concentric rolls. The axial positions of the concentric rolls are individually adjustable.

The invention relates to an adjustable roll straightener, particularly for straightening T-bars.

Adjustableroll straighteners have been proposed in the past, particularly for tubes or rods having a quadratic or rectangular cross section wherein all straightening rolls are borne in a plane normal to the direction of feed movement of the work and an unmovable straightening roll forms a fixed point whereas the other straightening rolls are axially movably supported and have shafts extended at one or both ends and are so connected that certain rolls are horizontally as well as vertically movable and other rolls are vertically or horizontally movable, two setting elements which are placed at right angles aifordiug displacement of the movable straightening rolls by means of a threaded spindle or the like.

Roll straighteners are known for straightening T-bars, the axes of the rolls of which are vertically and horizontally adjustable and the straightening rolls of which have working surfaces for web straightening and for flange straightening. Either web straightening only or flange straightening only may be effected, wherefore large apparatus are required. Thereby the accuracy needed for special rails is hardly obtained, particularly, because straightening must be done in two consecutive working operations so that a subsequent change of the already straightened axis must be considered (see German Patent No. 712,770).

Other known roll straighteners operate with straightening fly rolls arranged, whereby the rolls are additionally supported by support rolls. Different straightening rolls are required for dilferent dimensions and all-sided straightening is not provided for (see German Patent No. 900,648).

A structure according to German Patent No. 913,962, which straightens T-bars does not satisfy a required all around straightening. Another conventional apparatus (see German Patent No. 1,146,332 and German printed specification No. 1,049,198) for adjusting and aligning straightening roll sets for roll straighteners has the disadvantage which is supposed to be overcome by the arrangement according to the aforementioned German Patent No. 900,648.

3,472,054 Patented Oct. 14, 1969 In all of the above listed straightening arrangements the upper and lower straightening rolls are placed in offset relation in the direction of movement of the work. An apparatus according to German Patent No. 60,549 operates with off-set roll straightening tools which are not adjustable although they surround the work on all sides.

It is accordingly among the principal objects of the in vention to provide an adjustable roll straightener that avoids the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior proposals.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a straightener suitable for straightening T-bars.

It is another object of the invention to provide a roll straightener, the straightening rolls of which are borne in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of feed movement of the work and which is an interchangeable tool for a straightening head according to U.S. Patent No. 3,254,520, the oscillating movements of which afford straightening all around the work.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a roll straightener wherein the tools in an oscillating straightening roll head are so constructed and arranged that special T-bars are obtained in one operation and at such a straightening accuracy as can be obtained with conventional straightening means, but without the great waste of time attendant at such conventional straightening means, and wherein adjustment of the tools to suit diiferent dimensions of the T-bars, as well as compensation of tolerances, is provided for.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following specification and in part will be obvious therefrom without being specifically referred to, the same being realized and attained as pointed out in the claims hereof.

Broadly speaking, the foregoing objects are obtained by rotatably supporting first and second straightening rolls and two lateral straightening roll assemblies in a plane substantially at right angles to the direction of feed movement of the work so that the position, for example, of one of these rolls can be adjusted by means of an eccentric and the other roll is adjustably by means of a threaded spindle, and each of the lateral straightening roll assemblies is supported by a shaft the central axis of which forms an acute angle with the center line of the first and second rolls. Each of the lateral roll assemblies comprises a pair of freely rotatable rolls placed concentrically one within the other whereby the axial positions of the concentric rolls are individually adjustable for compensating tolerances in size and for surrounding and supporting the work all around.

By clamping the work between freely rotatable tools a substantial straightening accuracy can be obtained at all sides by the oscillating movements of the straightening head and can be simultaneously limited to a permissible degree.

With the straightener according to the invention, changes of the dimensions of the work can be taken care of by simply exchanging the lateral roll assemblies since the first and second rolls can be made to suit different dimensions of the work by changing their positions.

The novel features which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, and additional objects and advantages thereof will best be understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof when read in connection with the accompanying drawing the single figure of which is an elevational view, partly in section, of a roll straightener according to an embodimet of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, a roll straightener 1 straightens a T-bar 2 that is advanced by conventional means, not shown, in a direction at right angles to the plane of the drawing.

The elevation of a first, or lower vertical, roll 3 can be adjusted by means of an eccentric shaft 4; the elevation of a second, or upper vertical, roll 5 can be adjusted by manipulating a threaded spindle 7 which acts on a support 6 for the roll 5, the support 6 being resiliently connected to the spindle 7 by springs 8 for avoiding breakage at the occurrence of an overload.

Each of two lateral roll straightening assemblies 9, 10, 11 is mounted on a shaft 9 the central axis of which forms an acute angle with the vertical center line of the vertical rolls 3 and 5. Each lateral roll assembly comprises two third rolls, namely a lower roll 10 and an upper roll 11 which are concentrically placed one within the other. Thus, each third roll 10, 11 is freely rotatable and its axial position is adjustable. The configuration of the rolls 10 and 11 corresponds to the cross section of the work.

A support 14 of one of the shafts 9 is urged by a spindle 12 and springs 13 towards the work 2, thereby providing protection against breakage at the occurrence of any overload.

We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, for obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to be secured by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. An adjustable roll straightener, for use in straightening a bar shape having top and bottom surfaces and lateral surfaces, comprising a first and second straightening roll having a common center line adapted to engage a top and a bottom surface of said bar shape, means operable for adjusting the position of at least one of said first and second straightening rolls, a pair of lateral opposite roll assemblies, each assembly comprising a shaft, two concentric third rolls rotatable on said shaft, each third roll being adapted to engage at least a lateral surface of said bar shape, the axes of rotation of all of said rolls being disposed in a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of feed movement of said bar shape, the longitudinal axes of said shafts forming acute angles with said center line, and means operative for adjusting the axial position of the rolls of said roll assemblies, all f said rolls being so positioned that said bar shape is adapted to be engaged substantially all around by rolls.

2. An adjustable roll straightener, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said adjusting means of said second and first rolls includes respectively an eccentric and a threaded spindle.

3. An adjustable roll straightener, as claimed in claim 1, individual supports being provided for said first and second rolls and for the shafts of said roll assemblies, at least one of said supports of said first and second rolls and at least of said supports of said roll assemblies comprising resilient means affording yielding of the respective supports for preventing breakage at the occurrence of an overload,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 311,250 1/1885 Koehler 72--224 2,064,453 12/1936 Wheeler 72225 2,338,161 1/1944 Ashton 72-366 2,361,729 10/1944 Zur Nedden et a1 72225 2,669,639 2/1954 Bowman 72-224 3,055,242 9/1962 Wilson 72247 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 72246 

